Resettling ex-offenders

‘God of the pimp and paedophile, I come to you’ says Paul Field’s hymn.
This is a typical story of such a release from prison.

We tried to get Mark housed.
Temporary housing, then a promised flat – he lost the flat as he did not have enough deposit. Mark’s family made it plain – no contact.
Terrified of homelessness he accepted the offer of a room from an ‘ex offender’ he needed to avoid.
After four months his ‘friend’s’ probation officer found him a small room in a new area. He rang me with the good news – but ‘shopping’ he said, ‘was the only time he had a conversation’.
Mark was isolated.

He started job-seeking, hard when you’re not permitted a computer.
Working with church safeguarding we fixed up a new church, someone with whom he could have an occasional coffee.
The GP fixed up counselling sessions.